Essay on Boys of Baraka

946 WordsApr 11th, 20104 Pages

Many African American families are suffering from the violence and substance abuse in their towns today, as reflected in the film “Boys of Baraka”. This film focuses on four young African American boys and their families from an inner city in Baltimore; Richard and brother Romash, Devon, and Montrey. As a result of the lack of discipline and an increased violence rate, these African American boys are suffering education-wise. Luckily, the Baraka School in Africa was designed for these children and gave them hope of bettering their lives as they enter high school. Due to the family’s situation dealing with their surrounding city, the five ways a family will thrive and function that we learned in class definitely pertain to “Boys of…show more content…

As the fourth family function, nurturing peer relationships is the most common problem amongst the boys in Baltimore. Because the crime rate is so high in the boy’s town, they have become accustomed to seeing people fighting, drinking and smoking, and being arrested. Richard and his brother, Devon, and Montrey all have a good head on their shoulder, but even that can’t be enough to protect them from the crimes that other African American boys eventually grow into. This reason alone is why the mothers of these four boys try so hard to send them away from Baltimore for a good education that will prepare them for high school and later a diploma, then possibly college. The last family function is ensuring stability and harmony, in other words providing predictable routines for their kids. As the mothers try so hardly to structure a perfect lifestyle for their sons, it is visible that it simply can’t be done in the city of Baltimore. While trying to ensure stability and harmony as a single mother, or a mother under the influence it can be hard to do so and as a result, the kids suffer. The Baraka School was designed for this reason and gives the boys a stable routine that will change their lives completely and ultimately prepare them for the real world. The film shows how much Richard and his brother, Devon, and Montrey’s families need the Baraka School to give

Kaffir Boy:
The True Story of a Black Youth's Coming of Age in Apartheid South Africa
By: Mark Mathabane
Nykki Smalls
Independent Africa
April 23, 2008
Dr. Jackie Booker
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He…

Boys' Antisocial Behavior
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